Hyakunin Isshu (百人一首, ‘hundred people, one poem each’) is a classical Japanese anthology of one hundred Japanese poems (和歌 - waka) by one hundred poets.
The most famous and standard version was compiled by Fujiwara no Teika (1162–1241) while he lived in the Ogura district of Kyoto. This compilation is known as Ogura Hyakunin Isshu (小倉百人一首).
This particular anthology was adapted into the most famous form of Uta-garuta known today. Nowadays, when Japanese people refer to “karuta”, they are most likely refering to this particular card game.
¶ The Cards
As with many Uta-garuta sets, a set of Hyakunin Isshu Karuta contains two types of cards: Yomifuda (読み札, “reading cards”) and Torifuda (取り札, “grabbing cards”).
In Hyakunin Isshu Karuta, There are 100 Yomifuda and 100 Torifuda, for a total of 200 cards per set.
Each Yomifuda contains the name of the poet, and their poem in its entirety.
Usually Yomifuda also includes an illustration of the poet at the lower half of the card. In some sets, the illustration is not included in the Yomifuda. Other older sets contain only the first half of the poem instead of the whole thing!
Each corresponding Torifuda contains only the latter half of the poem, usually written in hiragana without any diacritical marks.
Some sets, usually special or luxury sets, have both Yomifuda and Torifuda written in cursive Japanese writing.
¶ General Premise of the Game
The game is played with 1 person reading the Yomifuda (hereafter refered to as the “reader”), and player(s) competing in the game.
Only the players compete in the game. The reader’s role is to read the Yomifuda only.
A preset number of Torifuda are shuffled and laid on the floor.
As the reader reads a poem on the Yomifuda, the player(s) must search on the floor the corresponding Torifuda in which the latter half of the poem is written, as quickly as possible.
It is a great advantage if you have memorized the poems before playing the game.
The objective is to grab as many Torifuda in the game as possible.
¶ Methods of Playing
¶ Scatter and Pick up (散らし取り - Chirashi-Dori)
This is one of the traditional ways of playing the game, and can be played by any number of players.
Yes, the game can also be played by one player only. However it is usually for practice purposes only, since it is no longer a competitive game when playing alone. There are also several media available, such as CD’s and cassette tapes, which can take the role of the reader in case you could not find someone to read for you.
Each player plays only for themselves, and the objective is to be the player to grab the most Torifuda.
The game goes as follows:
- Hand the 100-card Yomifuda deck to the reader.
- Shuffle the 100-card Torifuda deck, and then scatter them on the floor face-up so that everybody can see each card. Ideally the cards are scattered in a circle such that every player has an equal chance to grab every card on the floor.
You may also line the Torifuda neatly in a grid, if 1 or 2 players are playing.
- Each player sits around the scattered Tori-fuda.
- The reader draws a Yomifuda from the deck and starts reading it out loud. Players must recognize the poem being read as soon as possible, and race to find and grab the corresponding Torifuda.
- The first player to grab the correct Torifuda takes the Torifuda.
- After the Torifuda is taken, the reader proceeds to draw and read the next Yomifuda.
- The game continues until all Yomifuda are read and all Torifuda are taken.
- Players count the Torifuda they have taken. The player with the most Torifuda wins the game.
¶ Reversed Karuta (逆さまかるた - Sakasama Karuta)
The gameplay and number of players are identical to “Scatter and Pick Up”, except that the Yomifuda are used as Torifuda, and the Torifuda are used as Yomifuda.
The reader only reads the latter half of the poems, and players must grab the cards on the floor, based on the corresponding first half of the poem. However, since the cards on the floor are written in kana mixed with kanji (chinese characters), the game is characterized by optical illusions that make it easy to grab the wrong card.
It seems the original purpose of this game is for practice purposes, by familiarizing with the first half of the poems by listening only to the latter half of the poems being read.
¶ Genpei War (源平合戦 - Genpei-Gassen)
It is a competition between two teams of one or more players per team.
The two teams are called Genji (源氏) and Heiji (平氏).
Each team sits on the opposite sides, and in between them the Torifuda are laid neatly: 50 cards near the Genji side and 50 cards near the Heiji side.
The Torifuda on each side are arranged in three rows: 17 cards at the bottom row, 17 cards at the middle row, and 16 cards at the top row.
The gameplay is the same as “Scatter and Pick Up”; players can grab Torifuda on either side.
Since it is a team battle, there are some rules:
- If a player grabs a Torifuda from the opponent’s side, then they move one Torifuda from their own side to the opponent’s side.
- If a player takes the wrong Torifuda, then the opponent moves one of their Torifuda to the player’s side as a penalty.
- The team who has no more Torifuda on their side wins the game.
¶ Relay Karuta (リレーかるた - ‘Relay Karuta’)
It is a variant of Genpei War where:
- Each team member play in turns instead of all at once.
- Turnover of players of both teams occur every 10 poems read.
- If an opponent took a Torifuda from a player’s side, the player passes their turn to their next teammate.
¶ Competitive Karuta (競技かるた - Kyōgi Karuta)
Competitive Karuta is a full-fledged competition held under the rules set by the All Japan Karuta Association.
It is a one-on-one game characterized by using only 50 Torifuda, which is half of what is used in “Scatter and Pick up”. However, all 100 Yomifuda are read by the reader.
Playing at a competitive level requires a high level of dexterity, agility, and memory, and is considered as a kind of sport in Japan.
¶ Mubeyama Karuta (むべ山かるた)
Mubeyama Karuta is a bingo-style gambling game that was very popular from the mid-Edo period to the Meiji period.
The torifuda are divided equally between a preset number of players, who then arrange them neatly in rows. The reader reads the Yomifuda, and the player must then check their cards if they have the corresponding Torifuda. If they do, they flip it face-down. A player is paid points for either completing a row of Torifuda, or flipping a Torifuda of special “yaku” poems, which contain certain words.
The game is named after a “yaku” poem in the game, which is written by Fun’ya no Yasuhide:
#22
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
| 吹くからに 秋の草木の しをるれば むべ山風を あらしといふらむ |
Fuku kara ni Aki no kusaki no Shiorureba Mube yama kaze o Arashi to iuran |
It is by its breath That autumn’s leaves of trees and grass Are wasted and driven. So they call this mountain wind The wild one, the destroyer. |
¶ Shimonoku Karuta (下の句かるた)
Shimonoku Karuta is a unique Hyakunin Isshu Karuta game played in the Hokkaido region of Japan.
The card sets are slightly different than typical Hyakunin Isshu Karuta sets.
The 100 Yomifuda are the same as in standard Hyakunin Isshu sets: cards made of paper cardstock, with the illustration of the poet, the poet’s name, and the poem in its entirety; however only the last verse of the poem is read out, hence the name Shimonoku (“last verse”).
The 100 Torifuda, however, are made of wood, such as Japanese cypress, and have a unique calligraphy style in which the last part of the poem is written in hentaigana. The set of wooden cards are also called ‘ita karuta’ (板かるた, “plank cards”).
Two teams compete against each other, with three players per team: one offense, one mid-fielder, and one defense. Opposing midfielders sit facing each other, while a team’s offense face the opposing team’s defense.
Each team has 50 Torifuda and must divide them between 3 players.
The initial placement is 5 or more Torifuda to each player, but it is common to divide it into 5 to offense, 5 to midfielder, and 40 to defense.
When the cards a player has are read and they have less than 5 Torifuda, another teammate must pass 1 Torifuda to that player between readings to keep at least 5 Torifuda per player.
Also, if the total number of Torifuda in the team is 14 or less, each teammate will have 3 or more Torifuda, and if the total number of Torifuda is 8 or less, each teammate will have 1 or more Torifuda.
The Torifuda that can be grabbed by a player are only their own Torifuda and the Torifuda of the opponent directly opposite them, and they cannot take the Torifuda of other players regardless of team.
If you grab the Torifuda of the opponent in front of you, then you send one of your Torifuda to the opponent in front of you.
If you grabbed the wrong Torifuda, The opposing team’s defense player sends one card to your team’s offense player.
When the team has 2 Torifuda remaining, the player who has no more Torifuda and the opponent opposite him will leave, and it will be a 2-on-2 match. (when your opponent leaves, pass your card to one of your teammates.)
If there is only one remaining Torifuda, it will be a one-on-one match, and if there are zero Torifuda, your team wins.
Even if a team with 2 Torifuda or less remaining gains Torifuda to have 3 or more Torifuda, it will not return to a 3-on-3 match.
¶ Nanae Town Shimonoku Karuta
There is a Shimonoku Karuta rule variant played in Nanae Town in southern Hokkaido.
Again, there are two teams playing against each other, and there are 3 players per team.
The players in the middle has 20 Torifuda arranged in two rows of 7 cards and one row of 6 cards. Players on the sides each have 15 Torifuda arranged in three rows of 5 cards.
If you grabbed the wrong Torifuda (the situation of which is hereafter refered to as “Teppa”), then any one of the opposing players sends one card to a player in your team opposite that opponent.
“Teppa” after taking the original card is invalid , and it is valid for the opponent team to “Teppa” their hand (= hand / teammate’s hand directly to the opposing team hand), and when both you and your opponent “teppa” and your teammate takes the opponent’s card, it becomes “chonchon” (= you cannot pass your hand to the opponent team. , remain unchanged). Also, after teppa, when the next bill is being read, the bill cannot be handed over to the person who teppa (= invalid).
The type of “karafuda” that is read first is free, and the reading varies considerably depending on the reader.
Cards can be freely moved within the team, and it is common for all three members of the team to have an equal number of cards as much as possible. When you have 6 cards, make it 2nd row, and when you have 5 cards, make it 1st row. When arranging the cards, align the tip of the card with the line on your side of the double line in the center of the sheet. Basically, when the yomifuda begins to be read, the hands must be placed on the knees, and acts such as hitting the floor and intimidating , which are often seen in games with general rules, can never be done.
When your team runs out of cards, either end will drop first, followed by the other end, leaving the middle player. Of course, the opposing team either escapes accordingly, or moves to the place of the missing player with the card and fights.
¶ Other Games using Hyakunin Isshu Karuta
There are other games played using Hyakunin Isshu Karuta which do not utilize the poems on the cards, and therefore do not require any memorization of the poems to play the game.
¶ Bōzu Mekuri (坊主めくり, “flip the baldies”)
Bōzu-mekuri seems to have been devised as a game that even children who have not memorized the poems can play, but it is not clear when and where it originated or who invented it.
Only the 100 Yomifuda of a Hyakunin Isshu set are used. They are placed in a face-down stack on the table.
Any number of players may play the game. After the first player is decided using rock-paper-scissors or any other method, players sit around the face-down stack. Turn moves counter-clockwise, starting with the first player previously mentioned.
Each player draws one card from the stack, and depending on the drawn card, an effect will take place, then the player’s turn ends and the player to their right takes their turn. The game ends when the face-down stack runs out of cards. The player with the most cards in hand wins the game.
The common rules are as follows:
- If the card drawn is a man, keep it in your hand.
- If the card drawn has a bald head (i.e. a monk/priest), put this card along with all cards in your hand onto the table face-up as the “pot”.
- If the card drawn is a woman, keep it in your hand, and take all cards in the pot.
- If the card drawn is Semimaru (蝉丸), then you are disqualified from the game.
¶ Regional Rules
There are many regional variations in the rules of the game, some of which are listed below. Decide first before applying these rules in the game:
- Instead of just one face-down stack, it is split into multiple face-down stacks, and a player may draw a card from any one of these stacks.
- If the card drawn is a woman, and the pot is empty, then keep the card in your hand and draw another card.
- If the card drawn is from the Imperial Family (Emperor/Prince), then keep it in your hand and draw multiple cards.
- If the card drawn is from the Imperial Family (Emperor/Prince), then keep it in your hand and take all cards from all players’ hands.
- If the card drawn is a person on an elevated platform, then keep it in your hand and draw another card.
- If the card drawn is Semimaru (蝉丸), then all players’ hands are placed into the pot.
- Semimaru (蝉丸) has the same effect as a card with a bald person on it.
¶ Ao Kanmuri (青冠, ‘blue crown’)
This shedding game is played by 2 teams of 2 players per team. Only the 100 Yomifuda of a Hyakunin Isshu set are used.
The game proceeds goes as follows:
- All players sit around in a circle. Teammates sit facing each other.
- Deal 25 cards to each player’s hand.
- Determine the first player using any method you prefer. Turns move counterclockwise starting with the first player.
- From this point, the game proceeds in similar fashion to Goita: The first player puts out one card on the table as an “attack”.
– If the next player has a card of the same type as the attack card (or if they have a card that defeats the attack card), they “defend” the attack by putting it on the table. Then they place another card on the table as an “attack”.
– If the next player doesn’t have a card of the same type, or if they don’t feel like “receiving” it, then they pass the turn to the next player.
– If all 3 players fail to “defend”, then the attacker puts out another card on the table as a new “attack”. - The game continues until one player runs out of cards in hand. That player’s team wins the game.
Cards are classified into different types:
- Emperor Tenchi - defeats all cards.
- Emperor Jito - defeats all cards except Emperor Tenchi.
- Bald (Monk/Priest)
- Woman
- Man wearing Yagoro (Arrow)
- Man wearing vertical eboshi
- Man wearing horizontal eboshi
- Man wearing a black/colored crown
¶ Ginkō (銀行, ‘bank’)
“Ginkō” is a game played by both adults and children using Hyakunin Isshu Karuta, that was popular in various regions of Japan until the 1950s and 1960s.
All 200 cards of Hyakunin Isshu Karuta are used.
Cards are classified into different types:
- Torifuda - worth 1 pt. each
- Men wearing a black/colored crown - worth 10 pts. each
- Women - worth 50 pts. each
- Men holding a bow (there are two of them) - worth 150 pts. each
- Man wearing Eboshi - worth 300 pts. each
- Bald (Monk/Priest) - worth 400 pts. each
- Person on an elevated platform (Royal family) - worth 500 pts. each
- Semimaru (蝉丸) - 1000 pts.
One of the players becomes the “bank”. Other players are bettors.
Each bettor is given an arbitrary amount of cards before the game starts.
The bank then places 4 or 5 cards face down.
Each of the other players wagers as many cards as they like on one of the face-down cards. (The wagered cards should be segregated per player.)
Once all players have placed their bets, the bank flips the cards they have bet on face-up.
- If the bank’s card has a higher score than the player’s bet, the bank confiscates the bet.
- If the bank’s card has the same score, it is a tie, and the bet is returned to the bettor.
- If the bank’s card has a lower score, the bank returns to bet to the bettor and pays them an equal amount of cards as the bet.
Sometimes there are also detailed rules, such as if the bank wins against a bettor’s Bald card, the bank will take twice the amount of cards as the bet, and if the bank has a Bald card and wins, the bank will take three times as much.
¶ Ginkōya (銀行屋, ‘banker’)
It is a more simplified variant of Ginkō, also played using Hyakunin Isshu Karuta.
Only the 100 Yomifuda of Hyakunin Isshu Karuta are used.
One of the players becomes the “bank”. Other players are bettors.
Each bettor is given 10 cards before the game starts.
The bank then places 4 cards face down.
Each of the other players wagers as many cards as they like on one of the face-down cards. (The wagered cards should be segregated per player.)
Once all players have placed their bets, the bank flips the cards they have bet on face-up.
- If the flipped card is a man, it is a tie, and the bet is returned to the bettor.
- If the flipped card is a bald monk/priest, the bank wins and takes the bet.
- If the flipped card is a woman, the bettor wins the same number of cards as their bet.
- If the flipped card is Semimaru (蝉丸), the bank wins 5x the number of cards in the bet.
- If the flipped card is Shokushi Naishinno (式子内親王), the bettor wins 5x the number of cards in the bet.